Land acquisition claims: Maharashtra appoints 57 tribunals to clear 28,000 NHAI cases

Maharashtra has appointed 57 tribunals to clear more than 28,000 pending land acquisition claims tied to national highway projects, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday. The state said unresolved claims often hold up farmer compensation. The backlog can also slow National Highways Authority of India NHAI work across the state.

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Bawankule said the state raised the matter with the Centre due to the scale. "Considering the seriousness of the issue, we pursued the matter with the Centre. With the appointment of 57 new tribunals, around 28,000 pending cases will be resolved within a stipulated timeframe.\" The statement linked the action to faster decisions and quicker payouts.

Land acquisition claims and national highway projects in Maharashtra

Officials said many claims involve requests for enhanced compensation under NHAI projects. A large number of such cases have remained unresolved for years. The statement added that some files have been pending for over three years. The state said the new tribunals were meant to tackle this long-running pile-up.

The government said the plan followed directions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. It also cited ongoing coordination with the Centre. Bawankule referred to meetings that included Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The statement said these steps supported the decision to add more tribunals.

New tribunals for land acquisition claims linked to national highway projects

According to the statement, the 57 tribunals will be staffed by officers. The officers hold ranks of additional commissioners and additional district magistrates. They will work across Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati and Nagpur divisions. The state expects this spread to reduce local case loads.

District collectors have been told to hold meetings with NHAI project directors and land acquisition officers. The goal is to sort and assign pending matters to the new tribunals. The statement said this allocation should speed up disposal. It also aims to reduce delays linked to incomplete case mapping.

To keep the process efficient, the state said claims linked to one award will go together. All such claims will be placed before the same tribunal, the statement said. This approach is meant to avoid split hearings and repeated reviews. It also helps keep decisions consistent for related claimants.

The statement said divisional commissioners will review tribunal work every month. It also said support costs will be met through the NHAI. This includes funds for manpower and daily operating expenses. The state said these steps were planned to keep the new system running smoothly.

With inputs from PTI